Topic: Firefly Marathon

[Achim]

Yup...you have to get Castle too.

After some positive posts here and lovemunkey's praise on Facebook: I got it already. Too much to watch at this point though

[Dragonfire]

Castle is a really fun, entertaining show..well worth watching I think.

[Najemikon]

Firefly: Episode 3 - Bushwhacked
4 out of 5

After encountering a booby-trapped spacecraft carrying the lone crew member of a horrific Reaver attack, Serenity is boarded by an Alliance Commander looking for Simon and River.


A good tense episode that builds up the legend of the Reavers, still without us seeing them, but we do see their horrific work in a haunted house Alien vibe for the first half. And sticking with pure sci-fi this time, the second half wouldn't be out of place in Star Wars as the all powerful Empire... I mean, Alliance ... board the rebellious smuggler's ship. There's a fun sequence as each crew member is interviewed and the difference between Zoe proudly refusing to expound on the nature of her marriage to Wash and then Wash himself proudly giving details is just hilarious! Also demonstrates the tangible difference between all the characters. This is definitely not just a show about Captain Mal and a bunch of crew.

Not all the crew are interviewed as River and Simon are hiding in a unique spot that delights River. Summer Glau continues to add layers to such a seemingly simple character.

[Najemikon]

Firefly: Episode 4 - Shindig
3 out of 5

In order to secure a job transporting cargo off-planet for a client, Mal attends a social event where a dance with Inara leads to him being challenged to a swordfight in defence of her honour.


This is a good episode that brings Inara and her conflicts with Mal to the fore as she attends a high society ball with one of her clients, who develops nicely though predictably from smooth charmer to arrogant git. It's a story that gives Kaylee a fun sequence too as Mal indulges her girly side and lets her go to the ball, so he can get in and arrange a job. Kaylee delivers the line that became synonymous with the series: Captain Tightpants.   She is however out of her depth in such a place and gets rescued by a kindly old gent who delivers a brilliant put-down in this typically witty script. I won't spoil that, but his follow up is a gem for everyday use: "I cannot abide useless people...".

Overall, while the period setting is well done and the writing continues to be sparky and subtle, it is a contrived, ultimately silly story with an obvious, inevitable conclusion (though the duel is funny), and it has to keep the rest of the crew locked up on the ship doing very little. Except, honourable mention again for Summer as she shows River's natural adaptability with an impromptu period English accent and runs rings around Badger, who is holding them hostage while Mal honours his duel. To be fair, it also finds room for expanding a little more on Zoe and Wash. I love how these two are so different, but absolutely match. I don't like the cliché many shows follow of having a couple break up to make up and so on. It's nice to see a marriage depicted as simply working.

[Najemikon]

Firefly: Episode 5 - Safe
5 out of 5

When Simon is kidnapped by a group of villagers in need of a doctor, Serenity is forced into contact with an Alliance ship in order to seek medical help for the critically wounded Book.

This is a superb episode. There seems to be so much crammed in and it plays out beautifully. The crew land on a planet to deliver the cows they got at the end of Shindig. While the deal is being done, Simon loses track of River in the town. He finds her as she joins a dance, witch is then juxtaposed with a proper Western-style gunfight after the deal went wrong. I know I keep saying it, but Summer is just so delicate and breathtaking in this performance.

She and Simon get themselves kidnapped and Mal leaves them to get the wounded Shepherd fixed up (by the Alliance in a desperate move) and they discover an intriguing detail about him. By way of flashbacks we learn something of Simon and River's childhood too and it makes that plot-line all the more poignant. Trivia fans take note: the young Simon is played by Zac Efron, of all people!

It's a fairly serious, quality episode though ends in comic book fashion, but that isn't a criticism in any way. Merely just an example of the sheer confidence in the writing.

[Najemikon]

Firefly: Episode 6 - Our Mrs. Reynolds
5 out of 5

After a celebration in which the crew is honoured for ridding a planet of a group of bandits, they returned to Serenity to find a woman named Saffron who claims that Mal married her during festivities.

Another perfect episode, straight after Safe, yet they couldn't be more different once again proving the versatility of the writing and characters. River's story is left alone to make way for a caper. In a complete change of pace, it is so funny for the most part. Real laugh out loud stuff, right from the opening scene. And then the moment everyone gathers on the ship to be introduced to Mrs. Saffron Reynolds is a hoot too, especially with Wash (who gets a good run throughout actually), then later Shepherd ("a very special level of hell...") and in a surprising moment, Inara. Morena has a great scene with Christina Hendricks who plays Saffron, then displays hitherto unseen comic timing...

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after she's kissed Mal, ending up being drugged herself and slurring at everyone while insisting she just hit her head!  

Whedon writes great female characters, and what with Morena looking about as cute as she can be, plus the gorgeous Christina, this is a memorable episode and them some! I haven't watched Mad Men yet and I think Christina Hendricks is a regular there? That's getting bumped up the watch list...  

Seriously though, this episode is written so well it's almost vulgar. There are so many great scenes on top of what I've already mentioned, plus great dialogue throughout and a splash of peril at the end.

Oh and one more girl I'd forgotten about. Jayne introduces us to Vera and she's pretty hot too...  

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[goodguy]

Firefly: Episode 5 - Shindig
...
Except, honourable mention again for Summer as she shows River's natural adaptability with an impromptu period English accent and runs rings around Badger...

That's such a beautiful scene, it makes me almost weep everytime I see it. And it reminds me that you have yet to mention the music in the series.

[Najemikon]

Firefly: Episode 5 - Shindig
...
Except, honourable mention again for Summer as she shows River's natural adaptability with an impromptu period English accent and runs rings around Badger...

That's such a beautiful scene, it makes me almost weep everytime I see it. And it reminds me that you have yet to mention the music in the series.

Honestly, I felt the same when she analyses the people dancing and then joins in. Just sublime. Joss Whedon is a very laid back, irreverent sort of bloke when he's interviewed, but what happened to Firefly must have hurt a lot more than he even said. I bet it feels like divine intervention for a writer when they find an actor who pulls off one of their characters as well as Summer essays River. For that not to translate into tangible success is just absurd. It's not as if anything or anyone else was letting them down.

Not sure why I haven't mentioned the music actually, Matthias, because it is another rather unique quality in such a TV show. It's clear, right from the theme that it's a very important element. Which of course it would be in the sort of communities the crew encounter.

[Najemikon]

Firefly: Episode 7 - Jaynestown
3 out of 5

When the crew returns to a planet where Jayne participated in a heist gone bad, they're shocked to discover theat Jayne's past actions have turned him into a local hero of Robin Hood-like mystic proportions.

A decent episode, but I can't help feeling it's more filler than thriller. It's a lot of fun, but the main plot is about Jayne and his surprising hero status in an isolated community which brings out a little history and a different side to him in a rather predictable plot. It seems a lot for such a slight conclusion. Still, considering Matthias' recent comment about the music, this is definitely a highlight, with a cute ditty ("Hero of Canton, the Man they call Jayne") that feeds into the recurring theme very nicely.

There's a nice side plot for Inara and as always it's very watchable with great banter. No development of the River story except she is starting to settle. She decides to "fix" Shepherd Book's Bible in a scene which is brilliant and hilarious in equal measure. We have a concise exploration of faith, while River declares that Noah's Ark will have to be put down to Quantum Mechanics, followed by a bit of slapstick when she sees his hair unbound! Loved it.

Actually there's a heck of a lot in this to say I reckon it's only average overall. Just proves an average Firefly is worth a dozen of another show.

[Najemikon]

Firefly: Episode 8 - Out of Gas
5 out of 5

After an explotion leaves Serenity crippled, Mal orders everyone to abandon ship while he stays behind in an attempt to make repairs - and reminisces how he found the ship an picked crew.

With hindsight this episode might have worked better as the finale, but wherever it is, it's another perfect and ambitious gem of a story. Whedon can always be relied upon to throw something like this in. It's a smartly directed story that plays with the narrative very cleverly. When such things fail, they can be awful. This does not fail at all.

It starts with Mal seriously injured on a deserted Serenity, with alarms going on and warnings about life support. He has an engine part in his hand and he's trying to get to the engine room. As he drifts in and out of conciousness, he remembers getting Serenity and how he built the crew, inter-cut with how he ended up on his own, bleeding and suffocating to death.

It's a powerful and poignant story that does so much to build the characters and their relationships, while giving us tons of back-story. It would be so easy to treat this as a gimmick (Wash has a moustache and Zoe hates him! Kaylee looks cute in make-up!, etc), but it's elegant and subtle. It shows us another side to Mal especially; his tenacity, honour and dedication, as well as offering some insight into just why he does what he does. This is not an episode for cool dialogue (although Zoe's introduction to derelict ship is hilarious), but quiet grim determination that will echo through the series.

Ok, so "echo through the series" is contrary to it making an ideal finale should have chosen to do so. Doesn't stop it being a wonderful piece of TV. I don't want to say more as people should discover it for themselves...

EDIT: So my DVD player just did a weird thing. I pressed play on the next episode and it loaded this one instead!   It reminded me, once again I haven't referenced the music. It's a beautiful theme that just drags you in and the first flashback with Mal showing Zoe Serenity is very well constructed... "step around it. Something must have died in here..."

[Tom]

01. Serenity
Writer: Joss Whedon (Writer)
Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Nathan Fillion (Mal), Gina Torres (Zoe), Alan Tudyk (Wash), Morena Baccarin (Inara), Adam Baldwin (Jayne), Jewel Staite (Kaylee), Sean Maher (Simon), Summer Glau (River), Ron Glass (Shepherd Book), Carlos Jacott (Lawrence Dobson), Mark A. Sheppard (Badger), Andy Umberger (Dortmunder Captain), Philip Sternberg (Inara's Client), Eddie Adams (Bendis), Colin Patrick Lynch (Radio Operator), Bonnie Bartlett (Patience), Domingo Vara (Ensign), Stephen O'Mahoney (Man (Dortmunder)), Jamie McShane (Man), John F. Kearney (Old Man), Gabrielle Wagner (Slave #1)

I have borrowed the Blu-ray release of this series from a friend to see, if there is much difference in quality.
I have now watched the pilot episode again and am thinking about rewatching the entire series again. The series and its characters made a lasting impression, with me wanting to revisit this series again so soon after. The 14 episodes weren't just enough. It is not often that a series makes me to rewatch it so soon after the first time. In recent history only "Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Big Bang Theory" made me do it.

This pilot episode had much rewatch value. Now knowing the characters a lot better and was fun to see the beginning here.

Rating:

[Najemikon]

Shiny! It was getting lonely in here... 

[Tom]

02. The Train Job
Writer: Joss Whedon (Writer), Tim Minear (Writer)
Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Nathan Fillion (Mal), Gina Torres (Zoe), Alan Tudyk (Wash), Morena Baccarin (Inara), Adam Baldwin (Jayne), Jewel Staite (Kaylee), Sean Maher (Simon), Summer Glau (River), Ron Glass (Shepherd Book), Tom Towles (Lund), Andrew Bryniarski (Crow), Michael Fairman (Adelei Niska), Gregg Henry (Sheriff Bourne), Valerie Red-Horse (Deputy), Kevin Will (Officer), Lina Patel (Ensign), David Reynolds (Henchman), Jeff Ricketts (Man), Dennis Cockrum (Other Man), Eric Lange (Fed), Tawny René Hamilton (Immigrant Woman #1), Michelle Ferrara (Immigrant Woman #2)

The episode which originally aired as the first episode. I liked it, but I don't think that it is pilot material. It only works if you are already introduced to the characters and the setting. Watching it again, I really think that the fact that it was aired first was one of the reasons that I was put off by the show early on when it originally aired.

Rating:

[Tom]

03. Bushwhacked
Writer: Tim Minear (Writer)
Director: Tim Minear
Cast: Nathan Fillion (Mal), Gina Torres (Zoe), Alan Tudyk (Wash), Morena Baccarin (Inara), Adam Baldwin (Jayne), Jewel Staite (Kaylee), Sean Maher (Simon), Summer Glau (River), Ron Glass (Shepherd Book), Doug Savant (Commander Harken), Branden Morgan (Survivor), Jared Poe (Ensign), Lancer Dean Shull (Radio Operator)

Though they are only a few small scenes with her, River (Summer Glau) had some great moments. Like how they hid outside the ship and she is admiring the stars.
Also it's fun how Jayne was tricking Simon into suiting up. The interrogation scenes were also funny.

Rating:

[Tom]

04. Shinding
Writer: Jane Espenson (Writer)
Director: Vern Gillum
Cast: Nathan Fillion (Mal), Gina Torres (Zoe), Alan Tudyk (Wash), Morena Baccarin (Inara), Adam Baldwin (Jayne), Jewel Staite (Kaylee), Sean Maher (Simon), Summer Glau (River), Ron Glass (Shepherd Book), Mark A. Sheppard (Badger), Edward Atterton (Atherton Wing), Larry Drake (Sir Warwick Harrow), Carl Bresk (Wright), Larry Pennell (Murphy), Michael McMillian (Younger Hopeful), Joshua Grenrock (Porter), Kim Onasch (Banning), Janora McDuffie (Cabott), Casey Piotrowski (Older Farmer), Hunter Cochran (Younger Farmer), Roy Werner (Gentleman)

I like how Kaylee gets enjoyment out of the ball even though she is put down by the snobby rich girls.
It is nice to see the relationship between Mal and Inara develop, but the episode takes the "period" setting a little to far.
The other crew came too short, but at least River stole again one scene.

Rating: